For many decades, the immigration registry has opened up a process in order to let individuals living in the U.S apply for a permanent status known as a “green card”. A green card is when an individual can permanently work and live in the U.S. Nevertheless, this does not mean they have the title of a “U.S Citizen.” For more than two decades, Congress has failed to update the immigration requirements until more recently. Due to this, there has been an increased shift in the immigration trends of the immigration policies.

Representative Zoe Lofgren has introduced a bill called “The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929” during the 118th congress meeting that would change the Immigration Act of 1929 (undocumented immigrants having to have entered the U.S by 1972) to have lived here without leaving for at least seven years. This results in a pathway opening up for undocumented immigrants, a potential citizenship, and legal status in the U.S. It’s important to understand that this can cause over 7 to 8 millions of undocumented individuals lives in the U.S to change for the better.

It’s important for young people to understand that this is a major change in the registry immigration bills since it was last updated in 1986. In order for this to be renewed it has to pass the house of representatives, then onto the senate. The Republicans hold the majority of the seats meaning it’ll be harder but not impossible.

There was an update on the Dream Act introduced by Dick Durbain and Lindsey Graham which will now let dreamers to establish the process to apply for conditional legal status and to give them a path to become U.S citizens.

At Preuss, we all come from different backgrounds, cultures and religions. Most of our parents are immigrants and it’s essential to see their perspectives. Most immigrant parents came to the “rich north” because of either better opportunities, seeking asylum, poverty, disease and or many more. The fact that most had to have sacrificed something in order to get to the U.S. Now, imagine if immigrants, 8 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS could get the change for the green card process to be much more effective and easier it would cause such a change and happiness. The fear will slowly disappear for undocumented immigrants because of the chance they will have to visit their homeland.

This will further open up more doors for undocumented immigrants and to be aware of what’s going on with congress in terms of immigration, and in all to spread the information for a hopefully better future for undocumented immigrants and those that we know.